The end of September signifies different things in different contexts. In the northern hemisphere, it marks the end of summer. In the southern hemisphere, it is the beginning of spring. For students and teachers whose school year starts in September or late August, it is a time of settling down and getting into the rhythm of the new semester.
For organizations like TIRF, whose financial year is consistent with the calendar year, the last days of September mark the end of the third quarter of accounting. It is a time of reckoning, of taking stock, and planning for the rest of the year and for the year to come.
For TIRF, the end of September is the time when we review the plans we made at our fall Board of Trustees meeting. And once again this year, given our commitment to sustain existing programs and to start some exciting new initiatives, we are projecting a deficit budget. That means the Foundation’s expenses will exceed its income. We continue to expand TIRF’s programs, but donations from our stakeholders have not kept pace.
For example, as seen in the August issue of TIRF Today, this year we had the largest number of Doctoral Dissertation Grant applications that have ever been submitted to TIRF. Because we were unable to fund all the deserving proposals, we initiated the category of “honorable mention.”
There is so much more that could be done to support research in our field, if only we had the funding! Please won’t you help? We are gearing up for the launch of our year-end appeal. We hope you will make a generous donation by the end of the year. With your help, TIRF can continue to expand its position in the ever meaningful field of language education.
Best wishes,
